-- Wichita Recordings, the British label that first signed Bloc Party, Peter Bjorn and John, and Simian Mobile Disco, is finally starting up a U.S. branch. That's appropriate because, see, Wichita is actually a city in the U.S. Pretty soon, they'll domestically release material from the British bands Sky Larkin and Lovvers and the Swedish groups Those Dancing Days and First Aid Kit.

-- Justin "Dave" Hawkins, the former lead yowler for British buttrock revivalists the Darkness, has a new band called Hot Leg, and they'll release their debut album Red Light Fever on Tuesday, February 9, in the UK, repulsively ugly cover art and all. Because open-chested jumpsuits, apparently, will never die.

-- Good news for those of us still into grimy bloozed-up post-hardcore: Seattle art-punk greasers the Murder City Devils broke up almost eight years ago, but they're reuniting this month for a quick West Coast tour. Sub Pop, their old label, will reissue all three of their albums and the Thelema EP on vinyl on February 17.

-- Instrumental Baltimore skronkers Thank You, members of which used to be in More Dogs and threw really great New Years Eve warehouse parties (which maybe they still do? I don't live in Baltimore anymore), will spend February and March touring the U.S. with Mi Ami, the new Touch and Go band from two former members of the great DC noise-dance percussives Black Eyes. That first self-titled Black Eyes album? Good lord. The world doesn't know what it missed.